WinningEdge Blog

Submitted by Wayne Allyn Root on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at 2:03 PM

Wayne Root: Finding Surprise Stories in the NBA's Second Half

Possibly my favorite thing about NBA handicapping after the All-Star Break is KNOWING that some team is going to catch fire and drive home a lot of pointspread covers. It's very easy to stay "off the radar" in this sport while piling up a profit for Las Vegas bettors who recognized the trend early.

That's because:

*Most bettors (and oddsmakers) are focused on college hoops right now*Most NBA media coverage is about the championship hopefuls

If a mid-level team has its pieces in place and healthy, has the right attitude, and has a chip on their shoulder because they're not getting much respect from other teams or the media...then they can literally go on a tear where they cover 17 of 20 games. The market takes FOREVER to catch on because they're not paying attention...then they don't believe their eyes...then they just assume it's a temporary fluke...and BAM...a month later smart bettors are swimming in cash.

The mainstream media is about to go whole hog into coverage of Golden State's attempted run at 72-10. If they're not talking about that...they'll be talking about how great San Antonio's playing...or LeBron James' legacy. That just opens the door for us!

How do you find these potential super-surgers? WAYNE ALLYN ROOT is THE KING OF LAS VEGAS because I know how to do this. I'm not going to mention specific teams in this article because that wouldn't be fair to paying clients. I will talk about methods you can utilize.

*We start by excluding the cream of the crop (because their lines are too high on a nightly basis) and the dregs down at the bottom (because they may not even be trying to win). Focus on teams that are currently Power-ranked around #8 or so in the league all the way down to #20. That's where these hot streaks come from. Teams who are off-the-radar now start to click amidst a league that has way too much "going through the motions" down the stretch. I'm very confident that somebody in that range is ready to go on a tear. It's your job to find them.

*Next, make a commitment to monitoring daily results. You need to be really FOCUSED on which teams are playing with energyright now. Don't just scoreboard watch with one eye, or check the final scores the next morning. Track wins and losses both straight up and ATS. You should even consider the post-All-Star Break section as a "new season." Keep separate standings straight up and ATS for what happens starting Thursday. Teams will jump off the page at you quickly if you do the work.

*Third, monitor schedule challenges so you can really jump on any hot teams when they're fresh...and facing a tired opponent. You will spot PINNACLE caliber bets if you're following the schedule closely. Imagine getting one of these super-surgers after a day off (or two)...at a great price (small favorite or underdog)...versus an opponent that's suffering from dead legs on a back-to-back. Oddsmakers can't make the line high enough, and the money is just there for the taking.

You regulars know that most of my formal selections for clients at this time of year are in the colleges. In my opinion, that's typically where the handful of best value picks are on a given night. I only release a few picks a night (five on the huge Saturday schedules). But a hot NBA team can crack the lineup at this time of year. If we assume I'm looking for situations that are going to cash at least 65-70% of the time...then the right NBA team at the right time is going to qualify.

I'm the only man in the sports betting industry with a star on the "Walk of Fame" here in Las Vegas. I'm always a few steps ahead of the oddsmakers because of proper preparation. If an oddsmaker ever gets his own star, it will naturally be a few steps behind mine!

Back with you soon to talk about the big Gonzaga-St. Mary's game coming up this weekend. I've spent a lot of time covering the Pac 12 because it's a very competitive league. Now is the time that handicappers need to start paying attention to Gonzaga and St. Mary's in the West Coast Conference. It's a weak league...but those teams can be great to back or fade in the postseason when they're out of synch with the market.

It's great to have the NBA back on our Las Vegas sports betting schedule. But, our investment portfolio will still be heavily weighted toward the colleges through the Big Dance. Are you ready for the most exciting stretch of basketball in the calendar year? If so...it's time for you to go to W.A.R. alongside WAYNE ALLYN ROOT!